Facebook Debuts Android TV App which can Only Play Videos

Gearing up for the launch of its original video content

Facebook has silently added support for Android TV to its Play Store app. The app, however, hasn’t been designed specifically for Android TV. It’s the good old Facebook app that you use on your phones, albeit with a shrunken list of features.

The Facebook experience on Android TV is nowhere similar to the one on our phones. It doesn’t display your news feed on opening the app nor does it show you notifications section for the same. Instead, the social networking app for Google’s Android powered TV consist of a collection of videos. These videos are assembled depending on various parameters.

The video feed consists of four sections namely Suggested, Live, Games and Your Videos. Needless to say that the Your Videos category only contains videos that your friends have shared with you. On the other hand, the Suggested and Live sections consist of a random list of videos which Facebook feels you might find interesting. Apart from that, the Games section allows you to play viral games available on the social networking platform.

It’s interesting to see the social network roll out Android TV support for its app so silently. That aside, it’s even surprising to see the company limit its Android TV experience to just a feed of videos. Possibly its gearing up for the launch of its own original video content. Ricky Vaan Veen, the co-founder of CollegeHumor as its global creative strategy chief is heading Facebook’s upcoming original digital content section which aims to rival the likes of Netflix. Incidentally, Twitter too recently rolled out an Android TV app that shows only video content.

To use the Facebook app on your Android TV, you just need to head to the Play Store on your Android supported television. After that download the Facebook app. For signing into the app, you will need to visit facebook.com/device, where you have to login to your account and enter the code display on your TV.

The social networking giant had initially launched a similar app for Apple TV and Samsung TVs earlier this year.

Sayan Sarkar Author Sayan is a technology aficionado who shares a keen interest in the booming startup scene in India. Prior to joining TechPP, he has had stints at GizBot and IBTimes UK. Currently based in Kolkata, Sayan is pursing a degree in Dental Surgery.